The Bikecentennial guidebook promised ….and delivered …the best treat for a cyclist since the 12-mile downhill into Damascus, VA ….a 32-mile “gently rolling” downhill that brought me from 6,548 feet in elevation down to 5,358 feet by the time I reached Lander.
That gave me a good jump on the day, but about five miles of road construction south of Lander ate up a lot of time. I ate lunch in Fort Washakie, then spent a hellish afternoon fighting against the wind, much of the time uphill.
At about 85 miles into my day, I passed through Crowheart, near where Washakie, Chief of the Shoshone Indians, reportedly celebrated his victory in hand-to-hand combat with the chief of the Crow Indians by cutting out his opponent’s heart and carrying it home on the tip of a spear. That’s one way to celebrate.
The terrain looks almost southwestern … lots of red sandstone buttes …and the climate out here is arid in the extreme. I’ve begun to tire of the monotony of the landscape, and am looking forward to Montana, which I should reach by Saturday (this day being Wednesday).
The 100-mile days are becoming more routine. By this point I was in peak condition. Also, in Wyoming thus far, there was little to do other than ride, so ride I did, for eight, nine, and 10 hours a day. And, while the mountains out here were higher than in the east, the riding was generally easier. In the Appalachians and Blue Ridge Mountains, the route was generally straight up and over, but the mountain crossings in the west were via switchbacks and graded inclines, affording an easier passage all in all.
There was another cycling couple at the campground this evening, Tom and Elaine, who work winters in Taos, NM. She is originally from Albuquerque, he is from Rockport, IL. They are outfitted to a “T,” having planned this trip for more than a year. They’re headed east, planning to reach Virginia by October. They left Astoria, OR in late June and have clearly taken their time! They promised me beautiful sights ahead, in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. We had a nice dinner of veggies, beef and tomato sauce. They cooked and I bought the beer.